Led Zeppelin Souvenir Hunters Raid Vicars Home

Polly Dunbar of the Daily Mail reports: For decades, the Rev John Dale has looked forward to retiring to the isolated 18th Century cottage he owns in the Welsh hills.

But his dreams of tranquillity have been shattered — by hundreds of LED ZEPPELIN fans.

For the property, Bron-Yr-Aur, overlooking the Dyfi Valley on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales, is where Robert Plant and Jimmy Page penned the band's third album, "Led Zeppelin III", in 1970 and ever since it has attracted hundreds of their followers.

Some have even stolen "souvenirs" from the grounds of the house, after which Plant and Page named a track on the LP.

Mr Dale, 65, the vicar of St Michael's in Michaelston-y-Fedw in South Wales, bought the stone-built cottage in 1972 as a country retreat for his family and, eventually, as a retirement home.

But with renewed interest in LED ZEPPELIN following their recent reunion gig in London, he is pleading to be left alone.

Mr Dale, who is not a LED ZEPPELIN fan and did not know of the cottage's connection to the band when he bought it, said:

"I've lost count of the number of people we've had up here when I'm staying with the family."

Who will Led Zeppelin have as an opening act on their 2008 US tour??? The rumors have finally been silenced: Plant has personally tapped his illegitimate son's band--MEAN VENUS--to open all 2008 shows. MEAN VENUS' lead singer, J, when recently interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine, spoke of his utter disbelief at the prospect: "I only found out he [Plant] was my dad a few years ago. My mum hid it from me for the majority of my life. So to actually be going on the road with my Dad is bloody outrageous!".